You’ve probably heard the term “mental acuity” used in conversations about ageing and the elderly. In laymen’s terms, mental acuity may also be referred to as “sharpness of mind,” but it’s a little more complicated than that and involves factors including memory, focus and comprehension. Studies have shown that untreated hearing loss can, in fact, impact mental acuity.
Thanks to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers uncovered that participants with hearing loss had accelerated rates of brain atrophy compared to their normal-hearing peers. In fact, those with hearing loss had lost more than a cubic centimeter of brain tissue per year compared to those without.
The structures most affected were those responsible for sound processing, speech production, memory and sensory integration.
“If you want to address hearing loss well,” explained senior study author Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., “you want to do it sooner rather than later. If hearing loss is potentially contributing to these differences we’re seeing on MRI, you want to treat it before these brain structural changes take place.”
The Connection Between Hearing Loss & Dementia
Research from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institute on Aging shows that there is a strong correlation between untreated hearing loss and dementia, as well as increased risk of falling, being hospitalized and experiencing overall diminished physical and mental health.
Thanks to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers uncovered that participants with hearing loss had accelerated rates of brain atrophy compared to their normal-hearing peers. In fact, those with hearing loss had lost more than a cubic centimeter of brain tissue per year compared to those without.
The structures most affected were those responsible for sound processing, speech production, memory and sensory integration.
“If you want to address hearing loss well,” explained senior study author Frank Lin, M.D., Ph.D., “you want to do it sooner rather than later. If hearing loss is potentially contributing to these differences we’re seeing on MRI, you want to treat it before these brain structural changes take place.”